Noise touching frets

Randy Malone

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Feb 10, 2021
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I've had my 2019 CE semi hollow a couple weeks now, and just noticed this. When sliding my hand along the neck (not touching strings but touching fret ends) I can hear the 'clicking' through the amp. After eliminating the amp and cords (by trying others), I finally found that by touching the bridge with my other hand the noise went away.

The noise didn't happen when touching strings, just fret ends (either end). And, it happens with my Telecaster (and touching the bridge makes it go away). Doesn't happen with any of my Strats.

So, is this a grounding issue, and if so, what do I do to have a better ground? But frets don't have any contact with the wiring system.
 
I'd say you are definitely building a charge on the fretboard and you are draining it off when you touch the bridge with the other hand (through your body to the bridge). That is the ground contact. I think it is a humidity issue, but I don't know why the Strats are not as susceptible as the PRS and the Tele. They may have a better ground plane with the amp. Maybe try to wet the fretboard with lemon oil and see if that changes the amount of charge build up.
 
Randy,

Just curious...are you wearing a battery-powered analog watch? Sometimes the pickups can hear your watch, and grounding the pickups by touching specific parts can cause the clicking to stop.

For example, when I sit in my living room, I can hear my wall clock tick the seconds. It's background noise I usually don't notice, but when I listen for it, it's there. You may have good ears, or your guitar volume is turned up, or your watch may not be grounded within itself. Experiment. Remove the watch, and report back.

My baseboard heat also clicks when the heat goes on, and cools down.

We're just odd creatures who discover new stuff often that intrigues us.
 
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Randy,

Just curious...are you wearing a battery-powered analog watch? Sometimes the pickups can hear your watch, and grounding the pickups by touching specific parts can cause the clicking to stop.

For example, when I sit in my living room, I can hear my wall clock tick the seconds. It's background noise I usually don't notice,e but when I listen for it, it's there. You may have good ears, or your guitar volume is turned up, or your watch may not be grounded within itself. Experiment. Remove the watch, and report back.

My baseboard heat also clicks when the heat goes on, and cools down.

We're just odd creatures who discover new stuff often that intrigues us.

My cat gets annoyed if I play guitar because I'm not giving him direct attention so he rubs all over my legs or back if I'm sitting in the floor.

You can hear the static buildup through the amp while he's doing it.
 
Thanks for all of the good ideas! I'll try taking off my apple watch. Lying in bed I was thinking of humidity, as the weather has gotten milder (less furnace activity) so maybe a higher humidity. I need to verify on the meter. But that could be why it's suddenly started to happen.
 
Update - no noise from my wife's hands, so I guess it's me. Wasn't that way before. So I tried her hand lotion and it got way better.
 
Yello. You've got Dr Oz hands! Try eating a waffle before you practice next time, maybe you'll be a better band leader...I'd avoid any slippers ands cargo shorts, meanwhileo_O;):)
 
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My cat gets annoyed if I play guitar because I'm not giving him direct attention so he rubs all over my legs or back if I'm sitting in the floor.

You can hear the static buildup through the amp while he's doing it.

I think it's time for both of us to take our meds again...LOL...Seriously, sometimes the brain plays tricks on you if you read something but think of something else...I watching a TV show Saturday evening about the same time Randy posted, where an investigator was searching for stolen goods, and where they thought the money to be was a mail locker...which had a men's swimsuit in it. Perhaps we both dreamed of something else, and ended up watching Seinfeld...Maybe I just need to reduce the time I spend watching TV and focus more on my reading and studies...and fine-tuning that musician's/doctor's ear...

Thanks for all of the good ideas! I'll try taking off my apple watch. Lying in bed I was thinking of humidity, as the weather has gotten milder (less furnace activity) so maybe a higher humidity. I need to verify on the meter. But that could be why it's suddenly started to happen.
 
UPDATE:

Speaking about how the mind playpen tricks on us...my fridge makes clicking sounds when it cycles through it's heating/cooling phases, and sounds like an anthropologist chipping away on rocks in search of ancient history...my beer opener hangs from the fridge door (which opens my pints of beer).

Holy crap. My mindset these past few days has been based off of my fridge making clicking noises, perhaps that's because in my view of time, it''s where my focus has been.

It's officially time for my vacation. See you again when I've eaten more garden vegetables instead of sipping mai-tais underneath palm trees...
 
Spin the wheel and buy a vowel. If you buy 2 vowels you might have enough. Sheesh.

Lord, now he's got me doing it...
 
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